Tuesday, February 7, 2012

DIY Edible Chocolate Box Filled With Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

What could be better than receiving a box of truffles or chocolate dipped strawberries? If the box itself was made out of chocolate, of course! Making edible chocolate boxes is so simple, I can't believe I didn't think of this before. They make a really impressive gift or you can use them as a table centerpiece at a party. Best part is you can customize them to make any size or shape you want and fill them with anything from fruit to store bought candies, homemade chocolates, and more!

DIY Edible Chocolate Box

You will need

Chocolate (candy melts, dark, bittersweet or semi-sweet), melted

Plastic Tupperware (shape and size of your choice)

Spatula or knife for spreading chocolate

Treat to fill your box (strawberries, M&M's, truffles, candies, etc.)

Directions

Melt chocolate (chips or bar) in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. You can also microwave according to directions on package. I used semi-sweet which was a little soft once dried, so I would recommend using only candy melts, semi-sweet, bittersweet or dark chocolate rather than milk or white, to lessen chance of breakage and ensure it holds its shape and hardens well.

Once chocolate is melted, use a spatula or knife to spread it around the inside of a plastic Tupperware container. You can use any shape or size you like as long as the plastic is bendable.

I wanted a box that was more shallow than the height of my Tupperware so I only painted the chocolate about half way up the sides of the Tupperware. Once you have a nice thick layer of chocolate, bang the bottom of your Tupperware against the counter top to release air bubble and give the chocolate a smooth finish. Place in the freezer to firm up. Make sure the layer of chocolate is not too thin or it might crack when you try to unmold it after freezing. You can always add another layer of chocolate to the sides and bottom and re-freeze if needed. The thicker the chocolate the less chance of cracking.

In the meantime you can use your extra melted chocolate to dip strawberries or fruit of your choice if desired. Add about a tablespoon of shortening per cup of chocolate for dipping fruit to thin out the chocolate to make it easier to dip and to give them a smooth shiny finish.

Lay on wax paper and add festive sprinkles or sugars if desired. Place in the freezer to dry.

Once your chocolate box is dry and set, remove from freezer. To unmold your box, flip the Tupperware upside down and gently pull the sides of the Tupperware away from the chocolate. You will see the places the chocolate has released from the Tupperware when the Tupperware turns white. The spots that are still brown are the places the chocolate is still stuck to the Tupperware and needs to be released for easy removal. Once you have released the sides, place your thumbs on the top (open side facing down) and gently push to release the bottom of the box from the Tupperware while pulling outward on the sides of the Tupperware. When you can see all of the dark chocolate spots dissapearing and the box is ready to release form the Tupperware, make sure there is a towel or hand underneath to catch the box so it doesn't fall out onto the counter and break. If pieces of the box break off you can use the melted chocolate to re-attach them. Once the box is filled, any small cracks will be covered anyway, so don't worry about minor flaws ;)

I also tried making a top for the box that I was going to monogram with melted white chocoalte but it was pretty much impossible to release it from the Tupperware without breaking... so I ate it decided it looked better without a top and scratched that idea.

You can also add sprinkles or pipe a name or a message on the inside (or outside) of the box with melted chocolate to jazz it up for a festive touch.

Fill your box with your chocolate dipped strawberries or candy of choice and you're done! If you make a box with taller sides you can decorate the outside too. Simple yet so impressive.

A nice presentation would be to place the box on a pretty plate or platter. Place the plate on top of some cellophane and pull the cello up the sides, gathering it at the top to tie a pretty ribbon for a special gift!